Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-10-06
Get Off" he roared.

AND SLOWLY CLICKED OFF THE WORDS
Get Off he roared.
s.For God sake hold the train" the
boy screamed in an agony of despera-
ton. "Roek Creeb bridge IS
Then he was jerked from his hold
and went whirling heels over head on
the stone-balasted track.
1t was but the work of an instant for
the Duke to jerk the bell-cord. Soon,
with grinding, diminishing roar
and hiss of the air brakes. the train
came to stop. Hamilton rushed back
along the track-past Boobies, who lay
unconscious between the rails, and in
to the depot
As his eyes fell upon the warning
message penned on the blank his
usually red face grew white.
Kind hands bore Boobies into the
little station, where he was laid beside
Jack on the couch. When the cannon
ball left, backing westward, toward
the di vision station, q little stack of
silver and bills-a present from the
grateful passengers-lay beside the
still unconscious B obbles.
Jack, still dazed and stupid, sat
presently in the worn ofice-ch and
stared in dull amazement at Boobies,
the money, and the telegram. begun in
his own hand and finished in another.
The puzzle was too much for his sorely-
aching head, and he shook that MEM
Der stupidity and gave up in despair.
A few days later, when Boobies
had recovered enough to be able
to talk little. and was lying on the
couch, with broad white cloth bound
around his broken head. there came an
interruption that sadly interfered
with Jacks pastime of listening to the
messages rs they went clicking by.
Instead of passing at the top of its
speed as usual, the cannon-ball fast
stopped at the small platform for an
instant. Then. as dainty little figure
descended and tripped into the depot,
to be Instantly clksped in Jacks arms,
the train moved on again. Had any
one been looking out of the depot he
might have seen smiles of satisfaction
on the faces Of the grimy' pair
Billy Parker artd Mike VAUDEVILLE
the mail clerk grinned in congratu-
latory manner, and even Hamilton
deigned to smile benignly.
The little figure was Alice H ale.
As her lover had not come to her,
after writing in such terms of love, and
receiving, as she supposed. her an
swer. she had come to the conclusion
that he was i'll, perhaps dying, and
had come to him.
"But I never received the letter."
he said. after the first furry was
over and they could talk nationally.
Letter" piped Boobies, raising his
| white-bound head. .Iremember now.
You didn't ask me that day if there
| was any letter for you an forgot it.
| It's back of the old bills in the middle
| pigeon-hole.
1t was speedily rescued from its
| long concealment.
PUT it there SOS I wouldn't lose it
an forgot" chirped Boobies. Bob
bles. how"
The girl sprang to the side of the
boy.
why, you dear old Boobies Carey.
what are you doing hereP'' she cried.
The entire neighborhood gave you up
for dead long ago. Your parents
| searched for you everywhere and then
| gave you up rs the rest had DONE
II run away from the boys that was
allus a-kickin' me-" Boobies ex-
planned, cheerfully.
..Many were the letters to you that
Boobies used to mail for me-" Alice
| said.
so this is the Miss Allie you spoke
Of" Jack rem arked, turning to the
| lad.
you betr' Boobies answered, en-
| phatically. She's good" he added,
| presently; '-she never kicked me"
Hamilton, the conductor, lost one
trip and wasted a good deal of time
to inform the superintendent of the
circumstances of the THANKSGIVING A
day later physician, whose fame ex-
tended throughout several States, ar
| rived at the little station, in company
with nurse. a motherly, middle
| aged woman.
There were days of suffering for
Boobies. and a delicate and danger
Gus operation. Then science tri-
umphed. The depressing fragment of
skull was lifted from Boobies brain,
and he was restored to perfect inteli-
| gence.
Then later a white haired minister
came to the little station. and the
cannon-ball train made stop of fif-
teen minutes duration.
| The superintendent was there, and
he and Hamilton, Billy Parker, Mike
Walsh, the mail clerk. q number of
passengers and Boobies were wit
nesses of the impressive ceremony
that made Jack Holiday and Alice Hale
man and wife. Then the superintend-
emit placed a stranger in charge Of
the little depot hudled Jack. Alice,
Boobies and the rest on to the train,
and the wedding trip OF the happy
couple began.
| The coal mine was afterwards sold
to the railroad company for q good ly
sum. and is making money for them.
Jack occupies good position in the
employ of the railroad company and
will be the superintendent before many
more years roll over his head